Evaluation of Wait Times for Otolaryngology Appointments in Illinois

The objective of this study was to quantify the wait times that patients may encounter for common clinical diagnoses when seeking otolaryngology care, while determining whether a wait time disparity exists based on geographic location within Illinois.

In November 2022, a list of Illinois otolaryngologists was obtained from www.entnet.org. Using a uniform script, each of the 291 otolaryngologists were contacted. The caller posed as a new patient with either sudden sensorineural hearing loss, a neck mass, or chronic sinusitis. Each clinic was called 3 times and wait times were recorded. One hundred fifty-eight otolaryngologists were included in the analysis.

The average statewide wait time for a new patient presenting with sudden unilateral hearing loss, a neck mass, and chronic sinusitis was 18.0, 22.6, and 25.5 days, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between urban and rural wait times.

Although wait time differences were noted, the lack of urban versus rural p value significance may be attributed to the small sample size (n = 11) of rural otolaryngologists in Illinois. However, the overall wait times in this study were longer compared to those reported in other studies, suggesting that the current number of otolaryngologists in Illinois is inadequate to meet the public need.

We have demonstrated that the current demand for otolaryngology care is outstripping the existing supply in Illinois. This suggests that an emphasis should be placed on training more otolaryngologists, or increasing the use of physician extenders, while incentivizing otolaryngologists to practice in rural areas.

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